Mecca from the cargo ‘Razoni’ was clearly intended for Syria from Ukraine.
BEIRUT (DPA-AFX) – The grain delivered by the Ukraine cargo ship “Rajoni” apparently was to be transported from Lebanon to Syria. Traders probably wanted to sell part of the expected shipment of corn in Lebanon and send the rest of the land to neighboring Syria. Two Lebanese government representatives from the German Press Agency said on Sunday. Meanwhile, the ship halted its voyage and was anchored on Sunday, about a good day’s drive from Lebanon.
“Rajoni” – loaded with 26,000 tonnes of corn – left the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odessa on Monday – as the first ship under the relevant agreement. After an inspection from Istanbul on Wednesday, the cargo left for the port of Tripoli in Lebanon. The small country is in the midst of the worst economic crisis in its history and imported more than 70 percent of its grain from Ukraine before the war.
Hani Bushali, president of the Food Import Association in Lebanon, said there had been “a lot of hype” about Razoni. Boshali said, “The world envisions an aid ship that will save Lebanese from their financial woes. Frankly, it is not.” “Lebanon needs wheat, not corn.” So far, no one has publicly claimed the property on “Razoni”. Only then will there be more clarity when the ship actually docks and the cargo is unloaded.
More than 20 illegal border crossings lead from Lebanon to the civil war country Syria. Most of these are controlled by Iran-ally Hezbollah. Exporting food to Syria is legal, but made more difficult by the West’s financial sanctions against the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad. Hezbollah smuggles food and medicine into Syria on a large scale.
“Razoni” was actually expected to take place in Lebanon on Sunday. According to the MarineTraffic website, however, she unexpectedly changed course during the trip. On Sunday, the ship was anchored in front of the Turkish Mediterranean port of Iskenderan – according to Marinetraffic with the new destination “order”, i.e. an as-yet-uncertain location from which a dealer orders loaded goods. The Ukrainian embassy in Lebanon only said that arrival had been “postponed”./jot/DP/jha
